A Westminster politician says he prays for abducted Christian schoolgirl Leah Sharibu every day.
On 19 February 2018, 110 Dapchi schoolgirls were kidnapped in north eastern Nigeria by terrorist group Boko Haram, making headlines around the world.
Five girls were killed, but the remaining victims were released the following month – except Leah Sharibu, who refused to deny Christ and convert to Islam.
Eight years have passed, and Sharibu still lives in captivity and has given birth to three children since her abduction.
Jim Shannon, the MP for Strangford, addressed fellow MPs at Westminster Hall during a debate on children and armed conflict.
“Boko Haram’s sustained campaign of violence, particularly against religious minorities, has devastated countless lives,” he said. “Children have been forcibly recruited into armed groups, while many more have lost parents, families, access to education and even their own childhoods.
“One of those children is Leah Sharibu. I pray for that wee girl every day…” Shannon continued. “Her freedom, and the freedom of many like her, remains unresolved. Too often, children affected by armed conflict are forgotten once the headlines fade, yet their suffering does not end when the world looks away.”
